[UPDATE:]? I noticed an error in my post’s title.? Actually, I was too generous to Kasich.? He actually made over $500k, mostly in bonuses, the same year Lehamn Bros. went into bankruptcy, not the year before.

Today is Good Friday, which makes today a better day than most to do what any fan of “The West Wing” knows would be known as “taking out the garbage day” in media spin.

After over a year of refusing to release any of his tax returns as gubernatorial candidates in the past have done, Kasich today released his 2009 tax return, which his campaign has said would be the only return he’d release.

Here’s what the campaign said this tax filing would show, according to Joe Hallett of the Columbus Dispatch:

“We’re doing this primarily to show that he did not profit from Lehman Brothers’ demise,” Milburn said. “His stock in Lehman Brothers is effectively worthless now.”

What did it show to Joe Hallett?:

The returns showed that Kasich was paid a $182,692 salary in 2008 from Lehman, along with a $432,000 bonus and $2,250 in other benefits. The bonus, paid on Jan. 31, 2008, was for Kasich’s performance with the firm in 2007.

Wow, to get a bonus that essentially triples your salary the same year the company collapsed.? How did Kasich’s family survive?

The returns show that Kasich is a millionaire. He and his wife, Karen, who made $19,777 in 2008 primarily from investment earnings, had a combined income of $1,386,648.

[Update:] Kasich claims he lost a ton of money from Lehman Bros. collapse, and yet he still made nearly $20k in investment earnings alone.? Man, mo’ money, mo’ problems.

Of course, Kasich uses his tax return to attack Gov. Strickland:

“I’m grateful that I’ve been blessed with good opportunities and the ability to turn them into success for my family and myself,” Kasich said in a statement. “I hope every son of a postman can do as well, but I fear those odds are slim unless we can undo the damage that Ted Strickland has done to our economy and get Ohio back on track.”

Excuse me, John, but wasn’t Ted Strickland Governor when you made over a million dollars in Ohio in 2008?? Mixed message, man.? I mean, in the year of the greatest economic collapse in the world, you did pretty well for yourself here in Ohio.

Oh, and it pays to be a Fox News tool and ride the corporate speaker circuit:

The tax returns also reveal that Fox News paid Kasich $265,000 in 2008 to be an on-air commentator — a salary that reflected his annual pay from Fox during the roughly nine years he worked for the network, according to the campaign.

…

Kasich also received $165,719 in speaking fees for delivering motivational speeches around the country, primarily to business audiences.

As for conservative author…. not so much:

The tax return indicated that Kasich’s two books are not selling well — he received only $51 in book royalties in 2008.

?Wow.? Looks like John Kasich and his family did pretty well living in Ohio while Ted Strickland’s been Governor.

Memo to Kasich campaign:? Exactly how does this “set the record straight” on whether Kasich profited handsomely?when Lehman Bros. collapsed?? By CONFIRMING it???

In other news, John Kasich’s state income tax repeal would have saved this millionaire $61,000 in 2009… without creating a single new job.